The book...is a significant attempt to study the methodologies adopted by the South Asian countries, while implementing local democratic institutions in their respective countries.

Contradicting the popular thesis that contentious politics generally promotes democratization, this topical book shows that some forms of contentious politics can hinder it, even as other forms strengthen democracy. It also suggests that the nature of activities—whether they are coercive or voluntary—lead to different effects on democratization. A timely addition to the literature on Nepal, it will be of interest to scholars studying democratic politics, as well as practitioners engaged in nurturing development in fledgling democracies.

PART TWO: EXTERNAL ACTORS

Providing a comprehensive critique of the Constitution adopted in 1990, this book identifies it as an important factor in the exclusion of various ethnic and minority groups. It examines the causes for the lack of democratic consolidation in Nepal and outlines alternative institutions that can give voice to the various socio-cultural groups in the country. Dr Lawoti makes a case for setting up a new Constituent Assembly and for following the principle of self-determination to reform the polity. He also makes several important recommendations for the construction of an inclusive and democratic Nepal.

The relationship between ethnic politics and democracy presents a paradox for scholars and policy makers: ethnic politics frequently emerge in new democracies, and yet are often presumed to threaten these new democracies. As ethnic politics is becoming increasingly central to Nepali politics, this book argues it has the potential to strengthen rather than destabilize democracy. Drawing on years of ethnographic fieldwork, Susan Hangen focuses on the ethnic political party Mongol National Organization (MNO), which consists of multiple ethnic groups and has been mobilizing support in rural east Nepal. By investigating the party’s discourse and its struggles to gain support and operate within a village government, the book provides a window onto the processes of democratization in rural Nepal in the 1990s. This work presents a more nuanced understanding of how ethnic parties operate on the ground, arguing that ethnic parties overlap considerably with social movements, and that the boundary between parties and movements should be reconceptualised. The analysis demonstrates that ethnic parties are not antithetical to democracy and that democratization can proceed in diverse and unexpected ways. Providing an in-depth discussion of the indigenous nationalities movement, one of Nepal’s most significant social movements, this work will be of great interest to scholars and students of Asian Politics, South Asian Studies, and Political Anthropology.